iPodSync

This clever and useful little application gives your iPod powers that go beyond entertainment value. iPodSync makes a good first impression, with a slick and well-organized control panel that boasts a brushed-metal design.

The utility's most notable feature is it lets you automatically import Microsoft Outlook content to your musical companion. And while iTunes itself will now let you add your e-mail contacts to the iPod, this program goes a step further by importing full messages and your calendar, complete with any upcoming meetings you might have. The e-mails themselves are easy to find and browse, as they're accessible from the iPod's Notes menu item. And to boot, you can configure the program to show messages from just the last day to the last four months.

But that's not all iPodSync can do; it also adds RSS feeds, movie information, and weather forecasts. You get a list of preconfigured feeds--including those for news, sports, and the iPod Lounge site--but you can easily add your own custom links. In our tests, syncing even a great deal of information happened very quickly, and all e-mails and other content looked just fine once they were on our iPod. And while we usually think 15-day trials are a bit too short, that's a small complaint considering how well the program functions.

On-the-go workers are likely to get the most use out of iPodSync, but just about anyone who owns Apple's MP3 player will find something to like about this download.